Boiler-flue cleaner



(No Model.)

v G. B. CALDER. BOILER PLUE CLEANER.

Patented July 7, 1896.

s PEYERS co. FHOTO-LIYNO, WASNINGQN, n c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. CALDER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BOILER-FLUE CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,707, dated July 7,1896.

Application filed April 11, 1896. Serial No. 587,144. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. CALDER, of Detroit, in the county ofWayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Cleaning Boiler-Flues, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in an improvement in cleaning boiler-fines,hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a portion of the head of a boilerand a flue with the flue-cleaning apparatus in place, and Fig. 2 is afront elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

A represents the head of a flue-boiler, and E represents one of thefines.

D represents a strip of sheet metal twisted in spiral form and with along pitch, set into flue E and reaching practically to the rear end ofsaid flue, both flue and spiral being broken in Fi g. l. The front endof spiral D is cut out usually, so as to form two tongues O G, which arebent outward slightly to render the diameter of strip D greater than offlue E, so that the strip cannot be pushed through or too far into saidflue.

F represents a hose leading from any convenient steam-pipe, and Bindicates a steamnozzle on the end of hose F, the nozzle B being soproportioned that it will enter the cut end of said strip D, preferablyas shown in Fig. 1, though it is not necessary that it enter quite sofar, it only being necessary to bring the end of nozzle 13 to such apoint that a jet of steam issuing therefrom will enter into and passthrough flue E.

The operation of my invention is as follows: XVhen a flue is to becleaned, the nozzle B is inserted in the cut in strip D and steam turnedthrough said nozzle. This steam rushes violently through flue E, setsthe spiral strip D into rotation, thus acting as a scraper on the flue,while the blast of steam picks up and carries out of the flue all theparticles of soot and dirt contained therein, leaving the flue brighterand cleaner than either steam or scraper alone would do.

The spiral D is no disadvantage to a boiler unless it have a very weakdraft, and may be continuously left in place.

If a boiler has too strong a draft, the spiral D in the flue acts as aretarder and econoniizes fuel, and in such cases it is better to have aspiral strip D in every flue of the boiler, While if the draft is tooweak the strip D may be inserted into the tubes as they are to becleaned in succession.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In combination with a boiler line, a sheet-metal spiral lyingtherein, held against actual motion but free to rotate, and a steamjetdirected into said flue, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

2. In combination with flue E, spiral D, cut at its end into the tonguesO O, steam-pipe F and nozzle B, substantially as shown and described.

CHARLES E. CALDER. lVitnesses:

M. E. FARR,

E. KETCHAM.

